I couldn’t help notice you added a ‘Notes’ section at the end of the list.

So why not put in a few caveats – to prevent writers and editors going OTT and following the 25 check points absolutely to the letter?

For example, remind readers that a few prolixities here and there can actually be a good thing.

Just like white space between paragraphs, a few padding words can help split components of a sentence up and make them easier to read.

Put it another way: If you pare back your copy to the absolute minimum it can end up reading like a ride on the waltzers. You get thrown from one idea to the next with no chance to ever catch your breath.

Also, if you’re writing for blue ribbon publications then it’s maybe best to stick to the correct grammatical rules for ‘over’ and ‘more than’. I’d rather not have sticklers lecturing me about countable nouns and non-countable nouns – even when ‘over’ is perfectly clear as it is.

Great quick tip list. Wanted to clarify on #23, though. “More than” is generally used when things are countable, such as “More than 100 people attended the program.” “Over” is generally used with spatial descriptions, for instance, “Most of the men in his family stand over six feet tall.”

Some of these are redundant, and more than one are just plain wrong. But if a lazy writer or editor followed the bulk of these, he or she would be better off, so bravo. As they get better, they can cross some of these out, too.

(I’d add a suggestion of my own: To avoid typos – especially missing or doubled characters – clean your keyboard more frequently. Canned air once a week will help.)

Many thanks for this useful list. I’m now going through the first first draft of my WIP and replacing bland words such as ‘walked’, so will also keep in mind the tips from the list, but I do like the occasional long sentence.

Two quick reminders based on feedback we’ve gotten about this checklist:

1. These aren’t rules! We call them TIPS because there are always exceptions. This is a GUIDE to remind you to look at these things when you’re self-editing.

2. This checklist is based off our editing tips post: http://thewritelife.com/edit-your-copy/. That post explains the tips in much more detail. So if you’re not sure what we mean by a certain bullet, check out that post for more detail!

Great website, but did you now that at least 20% of the population cannot see the color green? This is like having a building without wheelchair access. Please design for accessibility. And keep up the great work– I want to be able to read it more easily, that’s why I am throwing a tantrum here. 🙂